Helambu Rural Municipality on Sunday held an executive meeting at Chhyati Ghang, a religious and tourist site at an altitude of around 4,200 metres above sea level, to highlight the impacts of climate change in Nepal’s Himalayan region.

Local representatives, municipal employees, and local leaders trekked to the high-altitude site via Ichok and Thadepati, observing the impacts of climate change on the Himalayan landscape.

According to Rural Municipality Chair Nima Gyalzen Hyolmo, discussions focused on promoting domestic tourism, mitigating the effects of climate change, conserving glaciers and fragile mountain ecosystems, and pursuing sustainable development.

“The Himalayan region is facing the direct impacts of climate change. We organised the meeting at a high altitude to draw attention to these issues at the local, national and international levels,” Hyolmo said.

Helambu has increasingly raised concerns about climate change in recent years. The rural municipality says rising temperatures, accelerating glacier melt, drying water sources, and declining biodiversity have become visible in and around Bhemathang, the source area of the Melamchi river, and other high Himalayan settlements.

Hyolmo said the rural municipality has been running the Climate Justice campaign since his second term in office, arguing that mountain communities are bearing a disproportionate share of the damage caused by high carbon emissions from industrialised countries.

“We are preparing to raise our voice, backed by evidence, before the government and international forums on issues such as floods, glacier loss and the environmental crises affecting our region,” he said.

According to the municipality, climate change has already affected apple farming, increased snow and ice melt, threatened the habitats of yaks and other mountain wildlife, and contributed to the depletion of water sources in the region.

The meeting also discussed developing Chhyati Ghang as a tourist destination.

Chhyati Ghang, which can be reached via the Helambu Himalayan Great Trail, offers panoramic views of mountain ranges. Its serene environment, Himalayan culture, spiritual significance and natural beauty have made it an increasingly attractive destination for both domestic and international tourists, hoteliers said.

Visitors can enjoy sunrise views, sweeping Himalayan landscapes, local culture and the distinctive lifestyle of the Helambu region.

Tourism in Helambu has been steadily recovering after suffering major setbacks from the 2015 earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic. The reconstruction of homes, monasteries, hotels, homestays and other tourism infrastructure has helped revive visitor numbers, with both domestic and international tourists increasingly returning to the scenic mountain destination, said Jimba Sherpa, proprietor of Sumcho Top Lodge at Thadepati.

Officials said the local governments alone cannot finance the sustainable development of high-altitude destinations, improve trekking trails and address climate challenges and sought federal support.